The 80s was a magical decade, one whose cultural impact has extended well beyond its initial ten years. In fact, you could say it was something of a mystic period for movies, and the actors who made it big often continue to be huge celebrities. That said, not everyone has stayed in the limelight, whether by choice, fate or circumstance…
Join us as we find out what happened to some of the biggest stars of the 80s that you just might have forgotten about.
ALF
It might shock you to think that one of the biggest stars of the 80s was an ugly, cat-eating alien – but it’s true. He crashed into Terran’s family garage in 1986 and things haven’t been the same ever since. Unfortunately,the series was curtailed, making the ending cliffhanger of the lovable Alf being captured by government officials the canonical fate of everyone’s favourite alien. Thankfully, the ‘real’ Alf has been allowed to age gracefully beyond his small-screen adventures.
Tiffany
The former teen icon is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Readers will certainly remember her hit “I Think We’re Alone Now,” which was a cover version of the song by Tommy James and the Shondells. Tiffany would go on to score a few more hits, as well as pose topless for Playboy Magazine. She made something of a comeback in the 2000s as a reality star, too.
Rebecca De Mornay
The famous American actress and producer scored a hit in what most remember as an early Tom Cruise flick: 1983’s Risky Business. Cruise and De Mornay would, for a time, become a couple, though the former’s Mission: Impossible fame sent his career stratospheric. More recently, De Mornay appeared in Marvel’s Jessica Jones in a prominent recurring role.
Emilio Estevez
Emilio Estevez is the first son of the Sheen acting family (joined by Apocalypse Now’s Martin Sheen and hellraiser brother Charlie Sheen) who made his breakthrough in ‘Brat Pack’ movies like The Breakfast Club. He went on to full-throated leading man status in Repo Man, but in later years has found success as a director, including the 2006 political movie Bobby.
Shelley Long
Nominated five times for an Emmy for her iconic performance as Diane Chambers on Cheers, Shelley Long was famous in the 80s for her mix of high-strung character performances and beguiling looks. After leaving Cheers (to be replaced in later seasons by Kirstie Alley), Long’s dreams of an A-list Hollywood career never quite materialised, but her stint in the Boston bar comedy remains timeless.
Lisa Bonet
While it’s not something many would feel comfortable rewatching these days, there’s no doubt that the ‘The Cosby Show’ was Lisa Bonet’s big break. The rebellious daughter of the Huxtable clan in the hit sitcom, Bonet would go on to forge a career in the movies with the likes of Angel Heart and High Fidelity. Her daughter, Zoë Kravitz, has also become an actor, recently starring as Catwoman in 2022’s The Batman.
Jeremy Miller
One of the definitive sitcoms of the mid-80s, Growing Pains was a hit that seemed sure to take the careers of all involved to new heights. That didn’t quite happen for Jeremy Miller, though he also found work in the 80s voicing the Peanuts character Linus van Pelt. Miller would return for the Growing Pains reunion movies and continues to act in independent movies.
Jami Gertz
Cast virtually out of nowhere, Jami Gertz quickly became everyone’s bloodsucking heartthrob after cult vampire movie The Lost Boys. Also starring in Less Than Zero and Quicksilver in 86 and 87, Gertz’s career turned to sitcoms. Now in her late fifties, we’re happy to say she hasn’t aged a day… which, considering her role as a vampire, is more than a little suspicious.
Scott Baio
The inimitable Chachi of Happy Days – and, of course, its spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi – was a major heartthrob back in the 80s. Unfortunately, Baio has more recently had a comeback as a cod political commentator, fervently supporting the presidential campaigns of fellow 80s celebrity Donald Trump.
Phoebe Cates
Unforgettable as the scantily clad star of Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins, Phoebe Cates was one of the 80s’ greatest It Girls. It was something of a shock, then, that Cates took a step back from Hollywood after her marriage to fellow actor Kevin Kline, choosing to raise her children Owen and Greta. Her last film was 2001’s The Anniversary Party.
Mr. T
A professional wrestler turned actor, Mr T is a mountain of a man best known for playing BA Baracus in TV’s The A-Team, though he’s also starred in the likes of Rocky III and Not Another Teen Movie. Remarkably, Mr T became fast friends with 80s First Lady Nancy Reagan, even attending her 2016 funeral to give his condolences.
Kelly LeBrock
Kelly LeBrock first gained notoriety in the Gene Wilder flick The Woman In Red, though it would be the John Hughes teen comedy Weird Science that would secure her a place in the 80s movie hall of fame. LeBrock would go on to endure a tumultuous marriage to fellow 80s flash-in-the-pan star Steven Seagal; they divorced in 1996.
Elisabeth Shue
A true 80s icon, Elisabeth Shue was everyone’s favourite girl-next-door. Know for The Karate Kid, Back to the Future, Cocktail and a host of other cult 80s movies, Shue would return to the dojo in Netflix’s ongoing Cobra Kai TV series. She still looks great!
Tempestt Bledsoe
The high schooler of The Cosby Show, Tempestt Bledsoe’s Vanessa is eleven in the first season, and we truly grew up with her in the 80s. Whether it was the travails of peer pressure and smoking, or navigating the rough waters of high school dating, Vanessa Huxtable felt like another sibling to us. After The Cosby Show, Bledsoe became a reality show host as well as a sitcom fixture, starring in the likes of Guys with Kids and Family Reunion.
Catherine Bach
Best-known as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, Bach pioneered the short-shorts look and in so doing became an 80s icon. While she passed on a cameo in the much-derided 2005 movie adaptation (in which Daisy was played by Jessica Simpson), that’s not to say she’s stopped acting: in 2012 she joined the cast of The Young and the Restless.
Ally Sheedy
1983 was a big year for Ally Sheedy. Not only did she make her film debut in Bad Boys (the Sean Penn film, not the Will Smith comedy), but she’d also star in WarGames, the prophetic movie about cold war tensions and artificial intelligence. But it’s surely The Breakfast Club for which Sheedy is best remembered. She took a step back from Hollywood, but has recently made a return in the hit TV comedy Single Drunk Female.
Kim Basinger
It shouldn’t shock you to learn that Kim Basinger began her career as a model. It was 1983’s Never Say Never Again, however, that catapulted Basinger from swimsuit centrefolds to the bright lights of Hollywood. Her role as Domino Petachi led to further success opposite Mickey Rourke in Nine And A Half Weeks and a winning turn as Vicki Vale in 1989’s Batman. She even recently starred in Fifty Shades Darker and its sequel, Fifty Shades Freed.
Willie Aames
Star of 80s sitcom Charles In Charge, opposite Scott Baio, Willie Aames was a former child star who became a showbiz renaissance man. He fronted a band that got a record deal with CBS Custom and even became a cruise director in 2012. Sadly, alcohol addiction put his acting career on hold.
Mia Sara
The beautiful star of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Mia Sara was the only person in the core trio to actually be close to the age of her character – Sara, playing high schooler Sloane Peterson, was 18; Cameron Ruck was 30! Sara had starred in Ridley Scott’s Legend the previous year, but would go on to make a number of critically derided films such as 1994’s Timecop. Now in her 50s, Sara is more focussed on raising her two children.
Justine Bateman
The sister of movie star Jason Bateman, Justine was something of an 80s star herself with a recurring role on the sitcom Family Ties (the show that would launch the career of Back to the Future’s Michael J Fox). In 2021, she directed, wrote and produced her debut feature film Violet, starring Olivia Munn and Justin Theroux. It seems a career comeback is on the cards!
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress, producer, singer, author, and activist. Most famous for playing the young Samantha Micelli in Who’s the Boss?, Milano also starred as Jenny Matrix in the Schwarzenegger flick Commando and in the hit witch sitcom Charmed. More recently, she’s been an outspoken voice in the anti-sexual harassment #MeToo movement.
Jennifer Beals
The former teen model made her debut in My Bodyguard, but there’s no disputing that it was Flashdance that made Jennifer Beals a sensation. Instead of pursuing a promising acting career, however, Beals went to Harvard and got an education. That’s not to say she hasn’t left showbusiness behind, however: she was recently seen in the Disney+ Star Wars show The Book of Boba Fett.
Michael Schoeffling
Known as hunk Jake Ryan in the John Hughes film Sixteen Candles, Schoeffling was the epitome of a teen heartthrob. Schoeffling would also star in Vision Quest and the 1990 Cher comedy Mermaids, but by 1991 had retired from acting. If it ain’t 80s, Schoeffling isn’t interested! Instead, he now spends his days at his self-owned woodworking shop in his home state of Pennsylvania.
Daryl Hannah
There was a time in the 80s that you couldn’t see a movie without Daryl Hannah. Whether it’s was as Priss in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, or as mermaid beauty Madison in Splash!, Hannah truly stole the show as a blonde bombshell. In her later years, however, she’s turned more to environmental activism, while also starring in the likes of the Wachowski-helmed Netflix show Sense8.
Robyn Lively
Robyn Lively is famous for her role in the film Teen Witch and her roles in the TV shows Doogie Howser, M.D.; Twin Peaks; Savannah; and Saving Grace. While she still acts today, such as in a 2022 episode of Cobra Kai, you might instead associate the Lively name with her younger sister Blake, wife of Ryan Reynolds and star of 2018’s A Simple Favor.
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler Lowe was truly a Brat Pack heartthrob, starring in the likes of St Elmo’s Fire and The Outsiders. However, the release of a sex tape sent his career off course, as he was no longer a squeaky-clean box office draw. Thankfully, a return to more comedy-oriented roles in shows like NBC’s Parks & Recreation turned his reputation around, and he’s once again become a screen fixture.
Robin Givens
The one-time wife of boxing legend Mike Tyson, Givens was famous in her own right for her role as Darlene Merriman in the ABC Sitcom Head of the Class which aired in 1986. She’s since worked consistently in film and television, though never quite reaching the heights of her earlier fame. She has a cameo role in the 2021 reboot of Head of the Class, though that show was cancelled after only one season.
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Jennifer Jason Leigh made her film debut as Stacy Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but she wasn’t limited by the teen comedy fad of the 80s. In fact, she received critical acclaim for roles in Single White Female, Last Exit to Brooklyn and Backdraft. More recently, she’s been seen in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight and cult sci-fi horror Annihilation.
Tawny Kitaen
Tawny Kitaen was a well-regarded TV actor, known for Malibu and minor roles in films like 1984’s Bachelor Party. She was also a frequent star of Whitesnake music videos and made a memorable guest appearance on the Seinfeld episode The Nose Job. Unfortunately, Kitaen died in 2021 from heart disease, reportedly exacerbated by substance abuse.
Emmanuel Lewis
Starring as title character of the 80s sitcom Webster, Emmanuel Lewis had a lot of pressure on his eleven-year-old shoulders. The show, however, became a great success, running from 1983 until 1989. Lewis’ career in the aftermath of Webster hasn’t been quite as glitzy, though, remarkably, he became something of a pop star in Japan.
Soleil Moon Frye
A TV icon thanks to the sitcom Punky Brewster, Soleil Moon Frye beat more than 3,000 auditionees to the role. While that show only ran for two years, from 1984 to 1986, subsequent reruns made Frye a household name. She would go on to join the cast of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as well as guest-star on Saved by the Bell and Friends.
Lea Thompson
Perhaps best known for playing McFly matriarch Lorraine in the Back to the Future movies, Lea Thompson suffered something of a career setback with 1986’s Howard the Duck. While it was technically the first modern Marvel movie, the film was panned particularly for Thompson’s canard-canoodling. More recently, Thompson has starred in the likes of the 2011 Clint Eastwood movie J. Edgar.
Matt Dillon
The teen idol star of Over The Edge, The Outsiders and Rumble Fish, Matt Dillon is one of only a handful of big-name 80s stars to also reach the heights of critical acclaim. For 2004’s Crash, Dillon even won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for a Grammy for narrating Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel On The Road. While his career has slowed down lately, he’ll soon been seen in the Wes Anderson movie Asteroid City.
Molly Ringwald
Potentially the most famous actress of the 80s, Molly Ringwald was John Hughes’ muse in some of his best-loved movies, including The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. While Ringwald largely disappeared from Hollywood for a number of years, she recently made waves in a recurring role in Riverdale.
Delta Burke
Now in her late 60s, Delta Burke became a star in the 80s for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women. Sadly for Burke, much was made of her weight gain, with her heaviness becoming often becoming a point of ridicule among her TV characters. That said, she’s more recently enjoyed success in Boston Legal and the stage production of the hit movie Steel Magnolias.
Kadeem Hardison
Famous for his role as Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, Kadeem Hardison has in adulthood carved his niche as a supporting actor in children’s entertainment. From 2015-18 he starred in the Disney Channel show KC Undercover and since 2020 has taken a main role in the teen comedy series Teenage Bounter Hunters.
Tracey Gold
It’s well-known that the life of a child star is often fraught, and this is no less true in the case of Tracey Gold, better known as Growing Pains’ Carol Seaver. When she reached her teenage years, and her roles became fewer on the ground, Gold began to suffer from anorexia. After a 2004 DUI arrest, Gold turned her life around and once again became a TV fixture with minor sitcom roles.
Milla Jovovich
Not typically associated with the 80s, Jovovich nonetheless plied her craft in several famous sitcoms of the era, including Married… with Children and the Western series Paradise. It was in the early 90s, however, that Jovovich became an A-list star in Dazed and Confused, and the early 00s when she cemented her icon status in the Resident Evil films. Jovovich’s daughter, Ever Anderson, is soon to become a movie star herself with Peter Pan & Wendy.
Brooke Shields
A controversial child star if ever there was one: Brooke Shields broke through with 1980’s Blue Lagoon, in which she appeared nude; she then starred in a series of Calvin Klein adverts that played on the then-15-year-old’s supposed sex appeal. While 1983’s Sahara, an attempt to make Shields a bonafide movie star, was something of a misfire, she has nonetheless released a film nearly every year for the past 42 years – no mean feat! Most recently, she starred in the kitsch Netflix Christmas flick A Castle for Christmas.
Nicole Eggert
Charles In Charge and Baywatch star Nicole Eggert was an iconic teen star of the 80s, though she in fact got her break at only five years old, starring in a Johnson’s baby shampoo commercial. More recently, she has levelled worrying accusations of sexual abuse against former co-star Scott Baio.
